Professor Thomas Kwok Keung AU

Awardee of University Education Award 2015
Deputy Chairman & Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics,
Associate Dean (Education), Faculty of Science,
Fellow, CW Chu College,
The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Topic:
Determination to Know; Engagement in Learning

Time:
9:35 am - 10:20 am

Abstract:

What do you expect when you see a mathematician working, or a mathematics student learning?  You probably may imagine a lone person, sitting there, fixing the eyes on a particular spot on the ceiling, motionless for ten minutes; perhaps, writing on a piece of paper with illegible scripts of symbols. This picture is very different and even opposite to the image of a successful person in Hong Kong. How do we teach our students major in mathematics and at the same time meet the societal expectation?

It was once said by an award winning professor, “one is not born a good teacher, but becomes one.”  To become one, it involves a process, an environment, and a great deal of determination. On the other hand, everybody is born a good learner from the days of infancy. But, it also takes a process, an environment, and persistence to be a better learner. We are going to share how the Department of Mathematics has created a process and a culture for undergraduate study, cultivated a tradition and a habit, foster an attitude among students so that students’ desire to learn is improved and learning engagement becomes natural.

Biography:

Professor Thomas Au grew up in Hong Kong and received his undergraduate education at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.  After a short period of teaching career and receiving a diploma in education at the University of Hong Kong, he moved on to pursue an academic career. He obtained his PhD specialized in Topology under the direction of Michael Freedman, a Fields Medalist, at the University of California, San Diego.

Professor Au returned to his Alma Mater to develop his research and teaching profession in the Department of Mathematics. Gradually in years, he has engaged more into teaching development and administrative services of the department. He has contributed in revamping the curriculum of Mathematics major in 1994; and in recent years, he headed the transformation into 4-year system. He has initiated most extra or para-curricular learning opportunities of the department. Professor Au is also a leader in the highly reputed outreach programmes and activities for gifted mathematics students in Hong Kong. He has served in committees of Chief Executive’s Award for Teaching Excellence and Quality Education Fund. In 2011, he extended his contribution to outside the department by joining the Dean team of Science Faculty and also by being an initial Fellow of the CW Chu College.

Student Voice

Time:
10:40 am - 11:30 am

Ten students will explain how they perceive two recent trends in higher education: micro-module courseware development and implementation of flipped classroom approach in courses.

Presentation on micro-module courseware development

Katherine LAI, Erica KUNG, Patricia WOO, Angela LI [Faculty of Medicine]
Serena YUE [Faculty of Science]

Presentation on flipped classroom approach

Kuan-Chieh LEE, San Yi WONG, Kwok Wai LAU, Chun Yu WONG, Hsiu-Yuan YANG [Faculty of Business Administration]